Our educational experiences at a Catholic elementary school were predictably structured and focused on academic excellence. Although we have a few memorable lay teachers, the majority of the faculty were from the Dominican Sisters of Sparkhill religious order. (Note: The Dominican Sisters of Sparkill are part of the worldwide Dominican Family founded by Saint Dominic in the 13th century. Since our founding by Alice Mary Thorpe in 1876 to care for destitute women and children in New York City, we have continued to serve the people of New York.)
I do appreciate the patience and coaching they offered my sister and I but do have less favorable memories. One particular day we were asked to spend quiet time copying the text from a poem out of one of our textbooks. Perhaps due to the fact that I was still mastering the English language, I innocently interpreted the assignment as creating your own poem. As our classroom nun was checking our progress, I was quickly reprimanded for not following directions and promptly given three swift smacks across my knuckles with a metal ruler! Needless to say, I was confused as to why creativity and originality were frowned upon at school?! I quickly learned to follow directions, ask questions and pay closer attention to my teachers.
As I progressed from 2nd through 8th grade at St. John’s, my confidence slowly grew in the basic curriculum of English, mathematics, social studies, geography and science. I truly enjoyed school and appreciated even more my secular male teacher role models. I also enjoyed the variety of our school field trips to the Bronx Zoo, American Museum of Natural Museum, Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, to name a few.
Another memorable experience during these formative years was the exposure to school musicals, plays and recitals. My seventh grade male teacher even made a point to take us on field trips to experience an off-broadway play, Pirates of Penzance. On a separate field trip he surprised us all by taking our class to a taping of the Ed Sullivan Show where the feature act that day was none other than the popular “Jackson Five”!
